Mamaroneck sports year in review

Ellie Seid pushes the ball up-field against Clarkstown this past fall. Seid and the Mamaroneck Tigers won another Class A title in November. Photos/Bobby Begun

Rye Neck reaches state finals
It has been a tough road for the Black Hats, but in 2013 all of their hard work finally paid off as Rye Neck found itself at the Syracuse Carrier Dome with a chance to win the school’s first-ever state title. Though the Panthers lost to Chenago Forks by the slimmest of margins, the road to Syracuse was a particularly inspiring testament to triumph over adversity.

Led by a senior class that endured a 1-7 season early in their careers, Rye Neck was by far the cream of the Class C crop this year, pitching shutout after shutout and wearing down opposing defenses with its bevy of talented running backs, including Dom Brescia, Ryan Morningstar, Pedro Cueto, Jakob Calvini and Jake Sevean. With a convincing win over Woodlands in the Class C finals, the Panthers avenged their 2012 loss to the Falcons and punched their ticket to the state tourney at Dietz Stadium, uncharted waters for the program.

Although the trip to Syracuse was bittersweet—with the Panthers falling 28-27 to a physical Forks squad—there were enough silver linings, including the town’s support of the squad and the way the players rallied around each other, to make this one of the best stories of 2013.

Matt Garcia bowls over a Chenago Forks defender on Dec. 1 at the Carrier Dome. Although Rye Neck fell short in its bid for a state title, the team still enjoyed the most successful season in school history. Photo/Mike Smith

“This is always going to sting, no doubt,” quarterback Tom Pipolo said after the game. “But we’re going to look back on this someday fondly, because we wouldn’t have gotten here if we weren’t so close with each other.

Mamaroneck field hockey wins Class A crown
It would be hard to find a more dominant season than the one the Tigers had this past fall. With a final record of 19-1-1, the Tigers were unbeatable within the section and outscored opponents 111-2 headed into their final game of the year, a showdown with Sachem East in the state quarterfinals. Although the Tigers fell to Sachem, they have added another brick to the legacy that they are building within the section with seven titles in the past 10 years.

Kimi Chiapparelli, Ellie Seid and Lizzie Clarke all scored in the Tigers’ 3-0 win over Scarsdale in the Class A finals–the Tigers third win over their league foes on the year–and the team returned home with an escort from the fire department as conquering heroes.

Mamaroneck’s Reed Malas drives to the net against Mahopac during the Class A tourney last spring. Malas and a host of other players will look to build upon the foundation Mamaroneck has laid the last few years.

“Of course, it would have been disappointing not to win the section, but no matter what happened, it would be hard to be disappointed about anything the way these girls have played,” head coach John Savage said after the Scarsdale game. “The kids have done such an amazing job.”

Mamaroneck repeats as lacrosse champs
Over the last few years, the Tigers have risen to become one of Section I’s premiere programs and were able to repeat as Class A champs in 2013, toppling a game North Rockland squad at Mahopac High School.

In both title runs, the Tigers were able to overcome injuries to key players during the season, including All-American Pete Conley in 2012 and Reed Malas, who was sidelined for a bit this past spring. But these setbacks didn’t prevent the Tigers from gelling at the right time to become a force in the section, thanks to contributions from players like Justin Csenge, Dylan Palais-Friedman and Thomas Brill.

The Tigers would eventually fall in the state regional semifinals against Shenendehowa, but head coach Jeff Barnard said the strides the program has made thanks to his core group of players have been astounding nonetheless.

“They’ve been such a great group of kids,” Barnard said after the game. “What set them apart is that they’re relentless in terms of hard work. They’ve done such a great job supporting each other through the years.”

About Mike Smith

Mike Smith has been with Hometown Media Group since 2007, serving as the company’s Sports Editor.
Mike has been commended for his work by the New York Press Association, winning awards in 2008 for “Best Sports Feature” and again in 2009 as part of a team that put together “The Game,” a breakdown of the Harrison-Rye football rivalry, which won for “Best Special Section.” His weekly column, “Live Mike,” offers his unique insights into a broad range of topics in the sports world.
He resides in Eastchester, N.Y. and spends most of his free time serving as the player-manager for a competitive men’s baseball team in New York City.
Reach Mike at 914-653-1000 x22 or sports@hometwn.com; follow him on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports.